Grocery Outlet – Elegant Tuna Dinner w/ Glass of Wine for Under $4

Motivated mainly by convenience and quality, rarely do I go out of my way to find a food bargain. Yet I was utterly intrigued by Grocery Outlet’s business model. Their marketing team invited me to attend the recent grand opening of the newest store in Long Beach, California.

There I met operator Jonathan Lawton and his very enthusiastic team of professional people who are seriously in love with their retail concept. They take pride in the products that they have chosen to stock and genuinely care about their new customers with plans to exceed customer expectations on a regular basis.

Giddy to show me some of the greatest bargains of the week, I shopped with manager and wine expert, Mike, who took me on a whirlwind tour from the wine department to frozen fish to fresh produce. As he pointed out some of his favorite values, a recipe began to take shape in my mind.

Tuna, clams, white wine, vegetable stock, butter, a rice blend, herbs….Toward the end of our shopping spree, Mike shared that the managers’ favorite item this week was a certain packaged bacon, so that ended up in the cart as well.

It was crystal clear that the items in my cart were amazing values, but it wasn’t until I got home and started to cost out the meal that I was truly blown away. A fabulous elegant fish dinner, including a glass of wine was going to cost well under $4.00 per person.

This is a very different kind of grocery business. Grocery Outlet Bargain Markets now have 225 locations in 6 states and began as an excess surplus food outlet in San Francisco in 1946. They say they have two types of customers, calling them the “underserved” and “want” customers.

“Underserved” consumers need discounts to live within their means. Grocery Outlet’s discounted pricing helps them stay within their budget by selling fresh foods and staple groceries at very affordable prices. These shoppers find great value in the WOW section of the store where national-branded products are priced at 50% or less than at the traditional retailer. Their low price and happiness ambassador, Lois Prices explains, “Deals so big, they make you say WOW.”

Consumers in the “want” category bargain hunt by choice rather than necessity. They typically come to the stores for the great value experience and the thrill of finding incredible prices on items they normally purchase elsewhere.

“Want” customers especially appreciate the NOSH (natural, organic, speciality, healthy) section where premium items may be discounted up to 80% off what they normally pay at a specialty shop. The wine section is also a favorite of theirs, where a wide variety goes for $3 to $6 per bottle and premium wines typically sell from $7 to $20, at 50% off the retail prices.

All customers benefit from the store’s opportunistic buying strategy, where Grocery Outlet buyers purchase goods from various sources at deep discounts.

One manufacturer might be changing their packaging and need to unload product with old labels. As brands are discontinued; groceries earmarked for export are unable to be shipped; items with a code life that is too short for conventional grocery stores don’t move; as companies go out of business; orders are cancelled; new products are tested; packaging is distressed or a myriad of other reasons why a conventional supermarket cannot sell a product, Grocery Outlet steps in and turns overstock into cash for suppliers and mind-blowing savings for their customers.

A perfect example of the business model is illustrated by products with a picture of Santa Claus on the label, stocked on the Grocery Outlet shelves in February! Grocery Outlet says, “Santa is still awesome in February, and so are the prices on these items.”

Independent store operators ensure that their customers receive the highest quality service. Buying decisions to stock the shelves are made at the individual stores where operators choose products that have high appeal to the local clientele. Their goal is to move product quickly, often discounting products on the shelves even further to boost turnover.

All categories of general merchandise are available in the stores at all times – from produce, to grocery, health & beauty, deli, high-end natural products and organic foods too. The difference here is that not all name brands are available at all times. A customer will be guaranteed to find, say, laundry detergent, but it may be a different brand that what was in stock the prior month – depending on the discounts available to the company’s buyers.

Fully aware that their business model cannot provide every ingredient all the time, Grocery Outlet has the pragmatic motto – “SHOP US FIRST.” Follow their practical advice and consumers arrive home with the absolute best pricing on all their grocery purchases…if Grocery Outlet is not carrying a specific product needed for a certain recipe, the customer can then stop at a conventional supermarket to pick up that last needed item or two.

Shopping at Grocery Outlet is especially fun for the open-minded creative cook, the one who shows up with a short shopping list of necessities but is also ready to be inspired by any great value or tantalizing product in the aisle for the week’s upcoming meals. This method is similar to the way I usually shop at the farmers market, choosing items that are fresh and available that day for dinner.

Here is my recipe inspired by items that were great values during the grand opening shopping trip to Grocery Outlet in Long Beach last week:

#GroceryOutlet Elegant Yellowfin Tuna Dinnerwith
A Glass of Wine for Under $4.00 per Person!

Add 1 1/2 cups each of wine and vegetable broth then turn the heat to high.

Meanwhile, while the liquid is reducing, cook yellowfin tuna. Pat dry with paper towels and season the fillets with salt and pepper. Sauté fish in 2 tablespoons of butter in a cast iron (preferably) skillet over medium heat, turning once until just barely cooked through. Keep tuna warm while finishing the clams.

When the liquid has reduced by a third, add frozen clams. Cover and cook until the clams open, about 2 – 3 minutes. Remove from heat and season with a generous pinch of red chile flakes. Add 2 tablespoons of butter and 2 teaspoons of chopped parsley and gently stir into the broth.

To Serve:

Portion a mound of the rice blend in warm shallow bowls. Place tuna atop the rice. Ladle clams and bacon broth around the edge of the rice. Garnish with chopped parsley and thinly sliced scallions. Enjoy with a glass of chilled sauvignon blanc.

$50 GIVEAWAY $50

Friends who live near or around Long Beach, California (or near any Grocery Outlet in California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Nevada, Pennsylvania) have a chance to win $50 gift certificates to shop at Grocery Outlet.

Please let me know that you are interested in the giveaway and shopping at this unique market by leaving a comment on this blog post. Increase your chances of winning by liking and leaving a comment on Taste With The Eyes Facebook page here. Two winners will be chosen at random on February 29, 2016 and notified by email or Facebook message.

Hi Linda – maybe you’ll see #GroceryOutlet expand back East, now only in Pennsylvania there. Thanks for your enthusiasm, this dish was a winner for sure 🙂 and so crazy that it came in under $4 WITH WINE 🙂
LL

Hi Lori!! What a fantastic write up! I honestly would have never thought to give Grocery Outlet a fair chance. (A bit of judging a book by it’s cover I suppose.) I can say that after reading your write up and drooling over your menu, I can’t wait to check it out! Thanks for sharing!

Hello H – thank you. It was really fun to create a ridiculously cheap and simultaneously delicious recipe. I was impressed with the #GroceryOutlet store, very pleasant atmosphere and excellent customer service. A fun place to shop for the creative cook looking for a deal.
LL

i would have never thought of pairing a butter-seared tuna steak with clams. i will make this wonderfully yummy-sounding dish as soon as i see what i need at the market. thank you so much for the inspiration!

Hi FA – of course…Santa Claus all year long, especially with great bargains! Yay for Santa!
Create a delicious meal on a budget? Me? Not usually 🙂 but this time it was really fun! I enjoyed the challenge. And the result exceeded our expectations!
LL

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